Would You Still Love Me?
by lydiarogue
Summary: When you've never had to come out to someone as Faunus, it's not something you think about doing. Or, five times Fox probably should have realized Velvet was a Faunus and the one time he did.
1.
The first time Fox should have noticed was innocuous. It was the first day after initiation, as they were setting up their dorm room. Fox was walking around the room to memorize the layout when Velvet spoke up.

"Fox, Coco, neither of you are allergic to animals, are you?"

They both answered in the negative and that was that.

Fox would later look back at it and realize that that should have been his first clue.

* * *

2.  
The second time was when they were exploring the city on a rare afternoon off, Coco leading Fox. "Oh, we should go to my favorite coffee shop, it's just a couple of streets over." He waved in the direction of the store. "It's on Third and Ocean Park."

Coco stopped walking, Fox stuttering to a halt a second later. Outside of Beacon, which he had come to know inside and out the past three months, it was simply easier to have someone lead. "Ah, maybe not the best choice," Velvet said.

"They discriminate against Faunus," Yatsuhashi said.

"What?" Fox asked, feeling about an inch tall. Of course, anti-Faunus signs weren't typically visible to the blind, so he had never seen it and no one had ever told him. "I didn't know." His stomach churned and he vowed never to go back.

"I know of a good bakery about five blocks over," Coco said. "We'll all be able to enjoy that one without a side of discrimination."

* * *

3.  
Fox had been using his Saturday off to work on making sure his scroll was working properly in combat. While the goal was to be able to operate without it eventually, for classes he was expected to be able to refer to his scroll.

Of course, this meant that he ended up dueling with Glynda for most of the day, battling until his aura dropped into the red again and again to ensure that the scroll was vibrating at the proper time and would be enough for him to notice it - without being distracting.

After the third successful trial (and about twentieth overall duel) he thanked his professor and headed back to the dorm. He needed to shower and nap, though it probably wouldn't be in that order.

So he collapsed face-down on his bed, not even bothering to crawl under the covers before passing out.

He wasn't sure how long he'd been asleep when he woke up to one of his teammates coming in. He offered a half-hearted wave in acknowledgment before getting up and showering.

"…you can turn the lights on, you know," Coco was saying when he came out of the bathroom.

"Doesn't bother me," Velvet said with a sigh, snapping her book closed.

"Just don't strain your eyes too bad."

"I should be fine, carrots are supposed to be good for eyesight."

* * *

4.  
A week later, Velvet was leading him through town, after all but begging him to accompany her to the Dust shop. He'd been trying to figure out if it was a good idea to ask her out or not. Her small hands had been caressing his arm as she lead him through the streets.

"Animal!"

"Freak!"

Fox flinched. He hadn't quite gotten used to hecklers, though "animal" was new. He reeled back in surprise when a half rotten tomato exploded on his face. "Go back to where you belong!"

He felt his face heat up with shame.

"Oh, God, Fox I am so sorry," Velvet immediately started to apologize, hands flitting over his face in a vain attempt to get the tomato off, though they both knew it would take a full shower. Some of it had gotten in his hair. "This is all my fault."

Fox reached out and found her shoulder, moving his hand up to cup her face. "Velvet, this isn't your fault." Reassure his teammate first. Take a hot shower and get this junk off him, then figure out why she was apologizing. "Those guys are just assholes. Can we just… go back to Beacon?"

Her hands stopped and she took his arm again. "Yeah, of course," she said, far more subdued than before.

Later, Coco sought him out when he was toweling dry from the aforementioned shower. "Velvet thinks you're upset with her."

Fox paused in the middle of toweling his hair dry. "…No? Why does she think that?"

"She said you caught a tomato to the face because of her."

Fox shook his head. "No. I mean, it doesn't happen when you two are around but… people aren't exactly kind to me. Velvet's presence just doesn't carry the same weight yours or Yatsuhashi's does."

"Velvet told me what they said."

Fox shrugged and turned away, reaching for his clothes. "It happens. Please, just drop it."

* * *

5.  
It had started out as a quiet team lunch in the cafeteria, Fox and Velvet sitting side-by-side across the table from their partners. Velvet had shifted close enough that their legs were touching under the table, which made Fox smile. His teammate wasn't one for physical contact so it brought a smile to his face.

A breaking news report shattered the comfortable air. Members of the White Fang had raided a shop near Beacon Academy and students were encouraged to use caution (and restraint, if appropriate) if they went off campus.

"When will the cops learn?" someone shouted. "If a dog turns rabid, you put it down. Why are those Faunus treated any better?"

Fox felt Velvet pull away, and when he reached out to rub her back she flinched slightly, causing him to pull back again.

"Velvet," Yatsuhashi whispered only for their team. "Do you want to leave?"

"No." Her voice was muffled, like she had rested her head on the table.

"Velvet, don't you have something to say?" The stranger moved closer. "Aren't you going to lecture us on how animals should have the same rights as humans?"

Fox tilted his head slightly. He'd never heard Velvet speak up about Faunus rights, though none of team CFVY were bigots, and she tended to be quiet and withdrawn.

"Just keep walking." Coco's statement was accompanied by the drag of a chair across the floor. It was a long moment before she sat back down. "Anyone who tries that again best prepare to die."

"Let's finish lunch," Velvet said, sitting back up, voice rising in pitch at the threat of violence from Coco. "Then we can go."

But the taunting - and graphic discussion of what should be done to the White Fang - didn't stop, just moved a little further away.

He didn't think he could stomach more of his lunch. "I'm not feeling so great. Velvet, you think you could help me get back to our dorm?"

One moment of painful silence later, Velvet quietly agreed. He could hear the relief in her voice. Coco bumped her knee against his, a tiny gesture of thanks before they stood. Fox wondered if she'd make good on her threat after they left as he threaded his hand through Velvet's arm so she could lead him to their dorm.

"Running away, Velvet?"

"I'm just trying to help my teammate back to our dorm," she said, voice trembling only slightly.

Fox felt her move closer to him.

"Do you think she has a tail?" someone mocked.

He heard the scrape of a chair against the floor.

"I said to _keep moving_."

"Coco, it's fine, please."

Fox would deny it was on purpose until the day he died, but it was the first time his teammates saw him trip. (He would later blame it on the crowd, though he only ever seemed to have trouble in crowds that were harassing one of his friends.)

The crowd took a step back, then fled when Coco walked over - heels deliberately clacking against the tile - and demanded "Who pushed him?"

"I've got this, Coco. Just finish eating, Velvet and I'll head back to the dorm." When they were out of view of the cafeteria, Fox extracted his arm to take her hand. "You were very brave."

"Thank you."

Fox smiled at his teammate and friend. "It bothers me too. I'm not going to say I know what it's like to be a Faunus, but I get harassed, mocked and it hurts to see people do it to others. There's no shame in walking away if it bothers you."

She squeezed his hand gently. "Maybe this isn't the best time to ask, but would you like to go get dinner sometime, as a date?"

He lifted their entwined hands up to kiss her knuckles. "I'd like that, a lot."

* * *

+1  
It all became clear the night before they left on their first mission. They'd been planning, even though they were just shadowing a huntsman, as though they were leading it.

"Since Fox and Velvet have the advantage at night…" Coco was saying.

Fox sat up at that. "What?"

"The light doesn't matter to you; you've got an advantage at night."

Fox waved his hand. "Right. But Velvet?"

The silence weighed heavily. "Don't you remember Doctor Oobleck's lesson last week about Fort Castle?" Velvet asked.

"Yes?" Fox offered. "But that…" He paused, considering everything. "Velvet, are you a Faunus?"

The silence strained for another moment before breaking. Coco started to laugh and her head thudded against the table. Velvet's soft giggles soon followed and even Yatsuhashi started to chuckle.

"Yes," Velvet said when she could catch her breath. "Yes, I'm a rabbit Faunus." She took his hand and moved it to the top of her head, where he could feel the rabbit ears.

"They're lovely," he said, running his hand down the length of one, then the other.

"It's okay?" She was barely audible, even to Fox.

It took a moment for Fox to realize what she meant and he took her hand. "I would still love to get dinner with you sometime."

Fox couldn't see her smile light up the room, but he knew.


End file.
